Sustainable Development and The NEPA Process

The goals of this document are two-fold. First, this work seeks to create a definition of sustainable development that fits the vision of Reconnect Austin and closely follows the main objectives outlined by the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) which will review any design solution for I-35 before it is implemented. By utilizing the NEPA lens to define five sustainable development tenets, Reconnect Austin ensures that any design solution they support is shaped through these tenets, and will be consistent with NEPA review process that will take place to assess development plans. Second, Reconnect Austin aims to highlight clear connections overlap between their defined design goal and literature on sustainability measures for cities, and planning documents produced by the City of Austin and other local organizations.